Battle of the Desert
The Battle of the Desert is a long lasting engagement that took place in the Antofagasta Region and the Atacama Desert from April 22th to May 2nd, between the Patagonian Armed Forces and the Antofagasta Freedom Army. It consisted in a group of engagments that happened in a widespread are, involving both urban and desert warfare and a part of mountain warfare. Previous Situation After the start of the attacks by Patgaonia against Santiago and La Serena, the Antofagasta citizenship, wich had developed a hige local feeling during the last months of alicantian control rushed to form a defensive force. The contemplated a long fight in the city and an eventual retreat to the desert, were a guerrilla warfare could be held at some level. 22nd April ARP Aysén and ARP Cañas arrived at 7 am to the Antofagasta coast area. Inmediatly elements of the 4th Marine Attack Unit landed before the antofagastan defenders could organize an attack. The beach was taken by the time the first shots were heard. Minutes later, a mayor explotion occured near the coastal road, when locals detonated a warehouse, casing 7 patagonian kills. By the next hours, the attackers advanced a couple of blocks and the 7th Marine Attack Unit landed, followed by 4000 Pampa Division Soldiers. The defenders were pulling back to the mountains and by the end of the day the resistance was reduced to a series of pockets. Those able to keep the main exits to the city mantained a contain while most of the defenders retreated. In the north of the city, the defenders were fortified at Mejillones. The Units retreating there were atacked by the ARP Cañas´ machine guns, forcing them to rout back. By 4 am of the 23th, the Battle at Antofagasta had ceased except for minor skirimishes every half an hour. 23th April The retreating units had taken possitions in whatever exit could be defended, the rest made their way back to the desert. Hundreds of contacts were reported and at least 7 civilian casualities overall. The southern exit to the 5th route beacme a battlefield between the 4th Marines Attack Unit with the Pampa 3rd Infantry Batallion and the 2nd Unit of the Antofagasta Freedom Force. In Cerro Tigre, east of Antog¿fagasta and deep in the desert, elements of the 4th Infantry Batallion engaged the defending forces. In the north, Mejillones became a mayor battlefield. 24th April, Mejillones Skirimish The mejillones skirimish started at 9 am with major engagements on the south of the peninsula. ARP Cañas opened fire and recieved RPG fire, caing mayor damage and forcing it back. The Marine Atatck Unit (7th) adavnced and charged against the defensive possitions of the peninsula. Upper Hand The Patagonian navy managed to expell the Mejollones garrison by 17 hrs of the 25th. For the rest of the day, skirimishes were reported all across the peninsula. While the defenders of the Mejollones Peninsula were routing towards the north, a series of air strikes were carried out by the airforce. the next day the Pampa Division reported the city secured and while the Marines defended and guarded it, the Pampa advanced towards the desert. Pedro de Valdivia Combat The Pedro de Valdivia office is a group of buildings and houses located north north east from antofagasta, about 100 kms away. The possition was used by snipers to cover a large area of the desert and harras the advancing Pampa Division on it`s way to Calama. The first shots occured on 26th April at 6 am. The Pampa pulled back and started the shelling of the place. After three hours, the Infantry advanced towards the area, engaging combat with nearly 800 fighters that had pulled to the desert during the artillery strikes. The fight lasted for 18 hrs and included rocket fire, air strikes, sniper fire and close combat. By 11 pm the office was captured, and by 1 am the defenders were pulling back to Calama. Finish moves The desert Fighters (as they were called in Puerto Carrera) maneuvered around Calama, forcing the patagonian Army to stay away under the threat of being trapped in a multiple attack from many sides. The ARP bombed tocopilla on 28th April and Taltal the day before. By the 29th, the forces of Taltal surrundered. A paradrop was carried out in San Pedro de Atacama on April 30th. The AFA was now trapped in Calama. The fights south east of calama drew nearer to the city defenses and the advance was stucked. meanwhile, the pampa advanced from the east and started a combat in Maria Elena. Later that day, Pampa units were reported in Chuquicamata, north gate of Calama. That night (30th-1st), divisions started in the city after air strikes were carried out against the center of Calama by 8 pm. The group divided and over the half of the defenders agreed to surrunder under the terms of exile. The next day, negociations failed after the agressive group (the one that would not surrunder), attacked the patagonian delegation near Chuquicamata. The fight reasumed at noon with combats near the streets. attacks on civilian population were reported. At 19hrs, main buildings of the city (a mall, the municipal center, the main square and the mail building) were under siege. Already 400 fighters had surrundered. The next day, an artillery strike was made and the mail office was destroyed, only three defenders survived. the other besieged buildings and the main square surrundered officially under the terms of dropping their weapons and leaving the region.